Tons of Toys for Tots filled the big meeting room of Crossroads Church in Perry this week as the charity event broke a new record for donations — and for families assisted at Christmastime.
“The Perry community really stepped up their donations this year,” said Carol Bayer, a financial literacy coach at the New Opportunities Dallas County Family Development Center who also organizes the local Toys for Tot campaign.
“We’ll help more than 400 kids this year,” Bayer said. “We try to service all we possibly can.”
Bayer said all families who qualify for any of the New Opportunities programs — these include the Head Start program, the Perry Food Pantry, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the home weatherization program and others — are also eligible to participate in the Toys for Tots program.
Volunteers John and Linda Andorf of Perry, who spearheaded the collection campaign, said they expected to collect enough toys to provide for about 350 children but when donations exceeded their plans, late applications for more than 50 additional children were accepted.
“People in Perry realize there’s a need,” John Andorf said, “and they showed their generosity in a big way again this year.” He said more than half the toys collected came from local donations, with the balance coming from the U.S. Marine Corps’ statewide Toys for Tots campaign.
“The community and the Marine Corps were awesome in their donations,” said Linda Andorf.
Local collections began about one month ago, and the Marines delivered their toy shipment Monday morning. Since then, Bayer, the Andorfs and fellow volunteers Sharon and Dennis Ulrich, Lisa Battani, Sue Kimpston, Bonnie Ikerd, Pat Mundy, Jim George and Dean Berkland have been busily sorting and bagging the toys for pickup.
A few big-ticket items will be given away by means of a drawing. Prize-drawing items include three bicycles, four scooters, four tablets, a kiddie ATV and others, most donated by Perry retail stores and private individuals.
